Trust in a time of trouble

"He has made me His target, all His archers surround me. Without pity He pierces my kidney and spills my gall on the ground." - Job 16:13

Job's complaint is that God is victimising Him. He feels targeted by God. His impression of his circumstances is that God has deliberately set out to injure him and cut him down.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

God's wisdom is beyond our understanding. When bad things happen to Christians the first temptation is to believe that God is a Victimiser. We have to take it on trust that God is to be trusted. We might never know God's reasons; but we have to give Him the benefit of our doubt.

Sanctification through hardship revolves around one central concept: Assuming the very best about God throughout it.

Every example of a Christian's suffering is really an example of Jesus' own suffering. Suffering produces in us the temptation to believe God is a Victimiser and disbelieve that He is trustworthy. This was the ultimate test that Jesus Himself faced.

Upon Him all suffering was laid. And His response was to entrust Himself to God, the Father.

Job's agony was Jesus' agony. Job's doubt was Jesus' faith.

Jesus on the Cross would have felt like God was making Him a target, surrounding Him with archers, piercing Him and spilling His own gall to the ground. Yet, it produced trust that God is trustworthy; not doubt that He is to be mistrusted.

In your suffering, Christian, assume He is trustworthy. You will vicariously experience Jesus if you do. And the fruit of your trust will be something akin to a resurrection - for trust in God is never misplaced. Trust through suffering is always vindicated.

If God is not trustworthy, your troubles far exceed what you are presently facing. In fact, the best way to multiply your troubles is to assume a universe governed by an untrustworthy God.